The Islamic factions in control of large parts of eastern Syria have created a Shari’a Committee for the Eastern Region. The Committee will administrate its areas, establish a police force, courts, fatwa offices, humanitarian aid, and says it will guide people on the straight path.

The Syrian regime forces bombarded Bani Zeid, Ein al-Tal, Karm al-Trab Ashrafiya, and Layramoun in Aleppo and clashes took place there as well. The neighborhoods of Jazmati and Masaken Hanano were bombarded and 3 people were killed in shelling of al-Sakhour. Violent clashes occurred near the Aleppo international airport and bthe Neyrab military airport where the opposition was bombarding both airports.

The Syrian military shelled al-Bab killing 4 civilians. 2 of the 21 bodies of unidentified men found in the Quweiq river, in the Bustan al-Qasr neighbourhood of Aleppo, were identified. They were civilians who had disappeared several days ago.

Anti-FSA websites carried a video showing alleged FSA activists (they aren’t in the video) beating and kicking the Yellow Man of Aleppo, a local character who wears yellow clothing. He appears to be a harmless eccentric, but they call him a pimp.

Rocket shelling killed 3 children in pro-regime suburbs. Regime forces carried out raids and searches in al-Zahra al-Jadida. Several mortar shells fell on the Qaboun neighbourhood and the Yarmouk camp causing injuries. Aerial bombardment of parts of Khal al-Shih took places and there were clashes near the air defense division. Also, Jobar was bombarded.

The Syrian regime bombarded the towns and cities of Bhadliya, Douma, Zamalka, Mu’adamiya, Thiyabiya, and the Huseiniya camp using multiple rocket launchers and 4 civilians were killed in the shelling on Mu’adamiyya. The shelling of the town of al-Ateiba resumed and killed several civilians. Clashes took place in the eastern Ghouta and near several military checkpoints around the city of Harasta and the regime forces shelled Harasta.

The Syrian military bombarded the towns of al-Ghariyya al-Sharqiyya, al-Jamla, Kaheel, al-Katiba, Um al-Mayatheen, al-Shajara, al- Tseel, al-Na’ima, and Khirbet Ghazala. Clashes took place near the towns of Busr al-Harir and al-Na’ima.

Regime forces encircled the town of al-Sheikh Miskeen and closed the roads to the town

The regime forces committed a massacre at Jazrat Al-Bou Hamaid yesterday which killed: Bassel Dawood Sulaiman, Ammar Hassan Al-Awwa, Ammouneh Jasem Al-Muhammad, Amsha Jasem Al-Muhammad, Ghazya Ma’youf Saied Faraj, Abd Al-Aber, a member of the al-Askar family; two unknown person from M’adaan; a person from al-Haws, and a person from the village of Abu Khashab.

The Syrian regime forces bombarded the town of Karnaz, killing 3 people and clashes took place there earlier when the opposition fighters attacked regime checkpoints. Regime forces bombarded the town of Qastoun. In clashes at al-Magheer, 8 regular soldiers were killed and the opposition took over checkpoints.

The Syrian government air force has bombed the northwestern city of Raqqa, killing a minimum of seven people in an airstrike and destroying buildings. It has been attacking Raqqa ever since opposition fighters seized much of the city from government troops earlier this week.
Opposition fighters shot down a regime war plane near Raqqah.
This video shows the aftermath of bombing of al-Rmeila neighborhood in Raqqa yesterday. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPHreYRucSg&feature=youtu.be

International:

The Philippine government welcomed the release of its 21 UN peacekeepers who were freed by Syrian opposition fighters after being abducted on Wednesday. They crossed to Jordan today.
“The Philippine government and its people express deep appreciation to the Jordanian government and military officials on the successful safe passing over to the Jordanian side of all our 21 Filipino peacekeepers,” read the statement. (AJE)http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2013/03/20133915523149218.html

Muhammad al-Maghut, poet, noted for his free verse (1934 -2006) born in Salamiyya to an Isma’ili family.

Nizar al-Qabbani, 1923-1998, born in Damascus. His sister, ten years his senior, committed suicide rather than marry a man she did not love and the theme of women’s oppression entered his work as a poet, whose work sharply criticized Arab society and politics of his time. He was also a diplomat and a publisher.

Ali Farzat, born in 1951 in Hama, a cartoonist. He was attacked by thugs who broke his hands. He is on Facebook and his cartoons of “Highlander” comment on Syria.

Duraid Lahham born in 1934 in Damascus. A comedian and director known for his character, “Ghawwar al-Toushe.” He was a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 1999 and is considered to be a supporter of Bashar al-Assad and not of the opposition.

Farid al-Atrash, 1910 – 1974 was born in Suwayda to a Druze family associated with the independence struggle against the French. He became a composer, master oudist, singer and film star in Egypt, starring in 31 movies and recording more than 500 songs.

Asmahan. (Amal al-Atrash) 1912 (or 1915) – 1944 was born at sea as her family traveled from Turkey to Beirut. Sister of Farid al-Atrash, she became a renowned singer of Arabic compositions and an actress in Egypt and challenged conservative attitudes about women with her artistic life-style. Her musical talent was considered to rival that of Umm Kulthum and she sang the compositions of al-Qasabji, Riyadh al-Sunbati, her brother, Farid al-Atrash and others.

Sadeq Jalal al-Azm, philosopher and scholar was born in Damascus in 1934 and earned a Ph.D. in 1961 from Yale. His 1969 book, Naqd al-Fikr al-Dini in which he criticized the misuse of religion and caused his imprisonment in Lebanon. He wrote at least six books and many articles since, including a critique of ‘Orientalism.’ http://en.qantara.de/wcsite.php?wc_c=15850

Shadi Jamil, great Syrian singer of the Allepine qudud, born in 1955 in Aleppo.

Hamam Khairi, another singer of the Allepine qudud and muwashshahat, a student of Sabah Fakhri and Shaykh Omar al-Batsh.

Assala Nasri, born in 1969 in Damascus as the daughter of a Syrian composer, Mostafa Nasri. She has produced 23 albums and many singles including “Ah, law ha-l kursi bye7ki” and has a dramatic and powerful singing style. She supports the Syrian revolution.

Sabah Fakhri, born in 1933 in Aleppo is perhaps the greatest traditional-style singer of the Eastern Arab world, of muwashahhat and qudud Halabiyya. He did not follow the typical musical path of pursuing a singing career in Egypt, preferring to remain in Syria.

Mayada al-Hinnawi, born in 1957 in Aleppo. A great singer whose popularity peaked in the 1980s. She sang the compositions of Baligh Hamdi, Riyadg Sunbati, Mohammad Sultan, Hilmy Baker and others.

Adonis (Ali Ahmad Said), a poet, born in 1930 in al-Qassabin, Latakia to a farming family. After being imprisoned for a year, he left Syria in 1956 for Beirut. He has published many collections of poetry in which he experimented with various modernist forms and received numerous awards for his poetry. He lives in Paris. http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/9297

Hanna Mina, novelist, born in 1924 in Iskenderun and raised in Latakia, he would later be an exile in China. He described his education as the “university of dark poverty.” He wrote 40 novels including the autobiographical, The Swamp. http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/5584

Mohammad Malas, filmmaker, born in 1945 in Quneitra and studied cinema in Moscow. He won awards for his many films including Ahlam al-Madina, al-Layl and Bab al-Maqam.

Selwa al-Neimi, poet and author, was born in Damascus and left for Paris in the mid-70s. She has published three volumes of poetry, a collection of short stories and is best known for her erotic novel, The Proof of Honey.

Saadallah Wannous, 1941 – 1997, a playwright, born in Hussein al-Bahr near Tartus. His writing career began in the early 1960s. He introduced a “theater of politicization,” helped to found the Arab Festival for Theater Arts and the Higher Institute for Theater Arts (where he taught).

George Wassouf, born in Kafroun, Tartus in 1961, is a popular singer of Arabic music with more than 30 albums released. He has supported Bashar al-Assad and has been criticized for praising the Syrian army.